Transcript World War II Battles

WORLD WAR II
BATTLES
World History
El Alamein (1942)
• Rommel (Ger.) vs.
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Montgomery (Br.)
Desert warfare w/tanks &
mines
Suez Canal was threatened
by the Germans
Oil threatened by Germans
British victory that saves
Egypt and Suez Canal
German forces driven out of
Africa
Leads to invasion of Italy by
Allies
Stalingrad (1942-43)
• Turning point of Operation
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Barbarossa (invasion of the
Soviet Union) .
Winter warfare with street
fighting
SW Russia on the Volga river
“Lebensraum” for Germany
(farm land and oil fields) desired
by Hitler
90,000 (entire German army)
captured
1 million casualties result from
Operation Barbarossa
Pearl Harbor
• 8:00 a.m. attack on
December 7, 1941
• 3 waves of plane
attacks planned
• Led by Admiral
Yamamoto
• Brings U.S. into World
War II (ends Great
Depression)
• Goal was to knock out
the Pacific Fleet
Philippines
• Jungle fighting
w/malaria & guerilla
warfare
• 2nd Campaign (1944 45) – U.S. retakes
Philippines from Japan
• Staging point for the
invasion of Japan
Guadalcanal (1942)
• 1st U.S. offensive against
the Japanese in WW II
• Part of the “island
hopping” campaign
• Jungle fighting w/night
attacks & malaria
• Japanese wanted bloody
battles
• Became launching point
for South Pacific
campaign
• Saves Australia from
invasion by the Japanese
D-Day (June 6, 1944)
• Operation Overlord - largest
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amphibious operation ever
Paratroopers preceded
landings
Opened a second front
against Germany
Supreme Allied Commander
was General Eisenhower
Beaches: Omaha, Utah,
Sword, Juno, & Gold
U.S., British, and Canadians
participated
Liberation of Western Europe
was the goal
Battle of Midway (June 1942)
• Turning point in the
Pacific War
• Japanese lose 4
aircraft carriers that
they can not replace
Battle of Britain (July-October 1940)
• Hitler wants to invade
Great Britain, but
needs air supremacy
• Germans attack air
bases first, but then
switch to cities
• Radar and “home field”
advantage helps the
English
• Invasion plans are
thwarted
Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 1944-Jan. 1945)
• Last German offensive in
World War II
• Allied forces were
caught off guard
• Created a “bulge” in the
Allied line
• Was the bloodiest battle
for U.S. forces in WW II
• Delayed the ending of
the war by several
months